Flavorful, Protein-Packed White Bean Recipes

Directions

Make vinaigrette: Whisk together lemon zest and juice, oil, cumin, salt and pepper in a small bowl or by shaking in a jar with a lid. Set aside.

Place cannellini beans in a small bowl and stir in garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper. Let stand for at least 10 minutes.

Strip stems from kale, slice, then massage with your hands to soften the texture.

Place farro into a salad bowl, add kale and arugula, then use your fingers to evenly distribute greens through farro.

Pour vinaigrette over farro and greens, add marinated beans, basil and chives, and stir gently to coat.

To serve, spoon salad onto a platter. Arrange slices of avocado on top, and sprinkle on pistachios and feta (if using).

Recipe adapted from Linda Shiue’s book Spicebox Kitchen; spiceboxtravels.com.

Vegan Polenta Tart With White Bean Spread and Oven-Roasted Tomatoes

The Vegan Polenta Tart With White Bean Spread and Oven-Roasted Tomatoes can be served as a side or an appetizer.

Johnny Miller; food stylist: Rebecca Jurkevich; prop stylist: Sarah Smart

“This festive and fresh vegan dish is a hit at parties.” — Gena Hamshaw, registered dietitian and author of A Grain, a Green, a Bean

Serves 6

Prep time: 1 hour

Cook time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Ingredients

For the white bean spread:

½ teaspoon olive oil (optional)

1 whole head garlic, top sliced off crosswise to expose each of the cloves

1½ cups cooked cannellini or great northern beans (a 15-ounce can, or 240 grams)

1½ tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 tablespoons tahini

¼ to ½ teaspoon sea salt (adjust to taste)

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the oven-roasted tomatoes:

2 pints cherry or grape tomatoes (about 1½ pounds, or 680 grams)

8 cloves garlic, peeled and left whole

1½ tablespoons olive oil (or substitute refined avocado oil)

Salt, to taste

Fresh ground black pepper, to taste

Fresh rosemary leaves (optional)

For the polenta: 

3½ cups vegetable broth or water

1 cup polenta or medium-grind cornmeal

¼ teaspoon kosher salt (adjust to taste)

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

Black pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Roast the garlic for the white bean spread: Drizzle the olive oil, if using, over the garlic. Wrap the garlic tightly in aluminum foil and place on a baking sheet. Roast for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the cloves are soft and golden and can be easily pierced with a knife. If the garlic is still too firm, rewrap and allow it to roast for another 5 to 10 minutes. Allow the garlic to cool for 10 minutes.

Prepare the white bean spread: Drain the can of white beans, reserving ¼ cup of the canning liquid. Do not rinse the beans.

Place beans, lemon juice, tahini, salt and pepper in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the S-blade. Squeeze the roasted garlic out of the head, into the bean mixture (all of it!).

Run the food processor, and as it runs, drizzle 2 tablespoons of the canning liquid into the pouring spout of the machine. Process the spread for a few minutes, or until it’s quite smooth and creamy. Stop once to scrape down the sides of the food processor. If the spread is too thick for your liking, you can add the remaining reserved canning liquid to loosen it up.

Set aside. (Note: You can use it right away, or to make it in advance, transfer it to an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 4 days.)

Roast the tomatoes: Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment, or use a nonstick baking sheet.

Arrange the tomatoes and garlic cloves on the baking sheet. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper, stirring to coat them and distribute the seasoning.

Roast the tomatoes for 20 to 25 minutes. After 15 minutes, stir the tomatoes. If some are starting to brown a bit, return them to the oven for another 5 minutes of roasting. If they’re still quite juicy and not yet browning at all, return them to the oven for 10 more minutes, or until the tomatoes are soft, their juices are starting to thicken and they’re browning lightly in spots.

Cook the polenta: Preheat oven to 375°F and lightly oil or spray a 9-inch springform pan (alternatively, you can use a 9-inch tart pan). In a medium pot, bring the broth or water to a boil and pour in the polenta or cornmeal in a thin stream, whisking constantly. Reduce the heat to a simmer. Continue stirring the mixture frequently until it starts to thicken and bubble (about 15 to 20 minutes, but it could be more or less). It’ll spatter, so watch your hands! When the polenta mixture is very thick and pulling away from the edges of the pot, stir in the salt, nutritional yeast and pepper.

Pour the polenta into the pan and allow it to rest for 15 minutes. Transfer it to the oven and bake for 20 minutes, or until it’s golden brown on top and pulling away from the baking dish. Allow it to cool for 10 to 15 minutes.

Assemble the tart: When all of the components are ready, spread the polenta crust with about 1 heaping cup of the white bean mixture (an inverted spatula makes this easy work). Arrange the oven-roasted cherry tomatoes on top. Cut the tart into wedges to serve.

The prepared tart will keep for up to 2 days in an airtight container in the fridge. Leftover white bean spread will keep for 3 to 4 days and can be used as an alternative to hummus.

Tuscan White Bean, Sausage and Kale Soup

The Tuscan White Bean, Sausage and Kale Soup may just become your favorite cold-weather staple.

Johnny Miller; food stylist: Rebecca Jurkevich; prop stylist: Sarah Smart

“The beans, chunks of potato and sausage, plus a splash of cream, make this soup comfort in a bowl!” — Molly Madigan Pisula, founder and chef at website Vanilla Bean Cuisine

Serves 6

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 35 minutes

Ingredients

1 pound Italian pork sausage (sweet or hot)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion, peeled and chopped

1 russet potato, peeled and chopped into ½-inch chunks

3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped

½ teaspoon Italian seasoning

1 (7½-ounce) jar of sundried tomatoes (drained and chopped), or ½ (14.5-ounce) can petite diced tomatoes

5-6 cups low-sodium chicken broth

½ teaspoon kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 (15.5-ounce) can low-sodium white beans, rinsed and drained

4 ounces baby kale

½ cup heavy cream

Grated Parmesan cheese, to serve

Directions

Take the sausage out of its casing and crumble it into a large saucepan or Dutch oven. Sauté sausage over medium-high heat, breaking up large chunks with a wooden spoon. When cooked through and browned (about 7 to 10 minutes), spoon off any excess rendered fat — keeping 1 to 2 teaspoons in the pan is fine.

Add olive oil to pan, then stir in onion and potato.

Cook for 7 minutes on medium heat, stirring frequently, until vegetables soften.

Add garlic and Italian seasoning and cook for an additional minute.

Add tomatoes and 5 cups of chicken broth and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. For a less chunky soup, add up to another cup of chicken broth.

Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer gently for around 15 minutes, until potatoes are tender.

Add salt and season with pepper, to taste.

Add white beans, kale and cream, and bring back to a simmer. Cook for an additional 5 to 10 minutes. Serve hot, with grated Parmesan cheese on top.

Note: If you prefer a creamier soup, use an immersion blender to partially blend the soup until you get the consistency you want. You can also remove 1 to 2 cups of soup from the pot, blend in a blender, then return to the saucepan and stir.

Storage tips: The finished soup will keep for 3 to 5 days in the refrigerator, but it may separate slightly after it cools. If this happens, don’t worry. It will come back together when you reheat it. Also, as it cooks, any leftover fat from the sausage will solidify on the top layer. You can remove this before reheating if you prefer.

If you’d like to freeze this soup, don’t add the heavy cream at the end. Instead, let soup cool completely, then freeze. After defrosting the soup, reheat on the stovetop in a large saucepan and add the cream 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Vegan Tuna Salad

Jackfruit and white beans give this Vegan Tuna Salad a flaky texture — without the mercury.

Johnny Miller; food stylist: Rebecca Jurkevich; prop stylist: Sarah Smart

“I love how the combo of white beans and jackfruit creates the creamy, flaky texture that reminds me of old-fashioned tuna salad. It feels familiar and comforting. Plus, it’s completely plant-based, which makes it even more special to me.” — Connie Edwards McGaughy, creator of The Carrot Underground website and author of The Carrot Underground Cookbook, Volume One

Serves 6

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

14 ounces canned jackfruit packed in water or brine, not syrup

1 cup sweet or yellow onion, diced (about half a medium-sized onion)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

½ teaspoon dried tarragon

15.5 ounces canned great northern beans, drained

1 tablespoon vegan butter

½ teaspoon sea salt or table salt

¼ cup vegan mayonnaise

2 tablespoons dill pickle relish (may substitute with sweet pickle relish)

2 tablespoons yellow mustard

2 celery stalks, diced (about 1 cup)

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 pinch nori flakes, optional (for a “fishier” flavor)

For serving:

3 to 4 medium-size ripe but firm avocados

Sprigs of cilantro or parsley for color (optional, quantity as desired)

Directions

Prepare the jackfruit: Pour off the brine from the can. Place the chunks of jackfruit in a colander or strainer and rinse with water. Thoroughly drain. Shred the jackfruit with a knife, fork or your fingers until flaky. Discard any firm seed pods or tough pieces.

Over medium-low heat, sauté the diced onion and garlic in a skillet with olive oil until soft but not browned. Use a spatula to turn the onions and garlic while cooking to prevent them from burning.

Add the shredded jackfruit and tarragon. Combine with the onions and garlic. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes while continuously moving everything around in the pan. Add more olive oil if needed (just a teaspoon at a time) to prevent the jackfruit from sticking to the pan. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.

Cook the beans: Place the drained white beans, butter and salt into a saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir while cooking until the beans are soft. Remove beans from heat and thoroughly mash with a spoon, fork or potato masher. Combine mashed white beans with the jackfruit and let cool for a few minutes. Stir in the diced celery.

Make the dressing: In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine mayo, relish, mustard and lemon juice. If desired, add a small amount of nori. Start with just a pinch. Stir and taste. Add more if needed. Pour the dressing over the jackfruit and beans and mix thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate the tuna salad at least 1 to 2 hours until fully chilled.

Just before serving, cut each avocado in half lengthwise and remove the pit. Place a scoop of vegan tuna salad in the center of each half and sprinkle lightly with paprika or chile lime seasoning. (Tip: To keep the avocado from browning, squeeze a little lime or lemon juice over the cut surface before adding the tuna salad.)

Garnish with a sprig of cilantro or parsley for color.